'Lines Written in Early Spring' is a 1798 poem by William Wordsworth. In the poem, the speaker describes having contradictory...

GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions

Source: Practice Test

Information and Ideas

Command of Evidence

MEDIUM

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Notes

Post a Query

'Lines Written in Early Spring' is a 1798 poem by William Wordsworth. In the poem, the speaker describes having contradictory feelings while experiencing the sights and sounds of a spring day: ______

Which quotation from 'Lines Written in Early Spring' most effectively illustrates the claim?

'Through primrose-tufts, in that sweet bower, / The periwinkle trail'd its wreathes; / And 'tis my faith that every flower / Enjoys the air it breathes.'

'The budding twigs spread out their fan, / To catch the breezy air; / And I must think, do all I can, / That there was pleasure there.'

'The birds around me hopp'd and play'd: / Their thoughts I cannot measure, / But the least motion which they made, / It seem'd a thrill of pleasure.'

'I heard a thousand blended notes, / While in a grove I [sat] reclined, / In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts / Bring sad thoughts to the mind.'

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Create Passage Analysis Table

Text from Passage	Analysis
'Lines Written in Early Spring' is a 1798 poem by William Wordsworth.	What it says: Wordsworth poem, 1798 What it does: Provides context for the work being discussed What it is: Background information
In the poem, the speaker describes having contradictory feelings while experiencing the sights and sounds of a spring day:	What it says: Speaker = mixed emotions during spring What it does: States the main claim about the poem's content What it is: Central claim to be supported
A. 'Through primrose-tufts, in that sweet bower, / The periwinkle trail'd its wreathes; / And 'tis my faith that every flower / Enjoys the air it breathes.'	What it says: Flowers enjoying air, positive faith What it does: Presents one potential piece of evidence What it is: Evidence option
B. 'The budding twigs spread out their fan, / To catch the breezy air; / And I must think, do all I can, / That there was pleasure there.'	What it says: Twigs catching air, speaker sees pleasure What it does: Presents another potential piece of evidence What it is: Evidence option
C. 'The birds around me hopp'd and play'd: / Their thoughts I cannot measure, / But the least motion which they made, / It seem'd a thrill of pleasure.'	What it says: Birds playing, speaker perceives pleasure What it does: Presents another potential piece of evidence What it is: Evidence option
D. 'I heard a thousand blended notes, / While in a grove I [sat] reclined, / In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts / Bring sad thoughts to the mind.'	What it says: Musical sounds + pleasant thoughts → sad thoughts What it does: Presents the final potential piece of evidence What it is: Evidence option

Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements

Main Point: We need to identify which quotation from Wordsworth's poem best demonstrates the speaker experiencing contradictory feelings during a spring day.

Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Wordsworth's speaker has mixed emotions about spring, then presents four potential quotations as evidence. We must determine which quotation most effectively shows these contradictory feelings rather than just positive spring observations.

Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely

This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.

Step 3: Prethink the Answer

The correct quotation must show the speaker experiencing conflicting emotions simultaneously
We need evidence of contradiction, not just positive feelings about spring
We're looking for some kind of tension or opposition between different emotional states
The key word "contradictory" means we need opposing forces or mixed emotions
We need evidence where pleasant spring experiences somehow also produce negative or conflicting feelings
The right answer should demonstrate both positive and negative emotional responses happening at the same time during the spring experience

Answer Choices Explained

'Through primrose-tufts, in that sweet bower, / The periwinkle trail'd its wreathes; / And 'tis my faith that every flower / Enjoys the air it breathes.'

✗ Incorrect

Describes flowers enjoying the air they breathe through the speaker's faith
Shows only positive, harmonious feelings about nature
No contradiction or conflicting emotions present

'The budding twigs spread out their fan, / To catch the breezy air; / And I must think, do all I can, / That there was pleasure there.'

✗ Incorrect

Describes twigs spreading to catch air and the speaker perceiving pleasure
Presents only positive observation of nature's activity
Lacks any contradictory or conflicting emotional response

'The birds around me hopp'd and play'd: / Their thoughts I cannot measure, / But the least motion which they made, / It seem'd a thrill of pleasure.'

✗ Incorrect

Shows birds playing while the speaker observes their apparent pleasure
Contains only positive emotions and harmonious nature observations
No evidence of contradictory feelings in the speaker's experience

'I heard a thousand blended notes, / While in a grove I [sat] reclined, / In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts / Bring sad thoughts to the mind.'

✓ Correct

Explicitly states "that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts / Bring sad thoughts to the mind"
Perfectly demonstrates contradictory feelings: pleasant thoughts simultaneously producing sad thoughts
Shows the exact type of emotional contradiction described in the claim - positive spring experiences creating conflicting negative emotions

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